Clothing has long been used as a template for self-expression. It is common for people to choose clothing that highlights their personality. Clothing is also chosen for its pleasant appearance. In each of these instances, clothing is not evaluated in a vacuum, but rather is evaluated in the context of the environment it will be seen in. Clothing worn to an office, for example, is chosen with sensitivity to the impression it will made in that environment. Similarly, clothing worn to a nightclub is chosen based in part on its likelihood to create the desired appearance in that setting.
The context used to evaluate clothing is not only where it will be worn, but its ability to enhance or complement the wearer's other clothing and appearance. To this end, it is common for people to select clothing that tends to hang well on their body, appear “slimming”, distract from undesirable body attributes, and enhance other attributes. The selection of color or patterns on clothing with the goal of “bringing out the color of your eyes” or complementing skin tone is common. Another factor often used in choosing clothing is consideration of whether it “covers up” scars or other skin attributes.
Body art has existed in some forms from prehistoric times, and now includes many variants, including permanent tattoos, temporary tattoos, piercings, scars (intentionally inflicted or otherwise), makeup (temporary or permanent), surgical alterations and other body alterations. The presence of body art is often something that is covered up using clothing. It is also known to showcase body art by selecting clothing that intentionally exposes the body art (such as a shirt that is cut high to expose a stomach tattoo).